Joining the eco boost club

Groover wrote:

tragusa3 wrote:
Assuming that trailer brakes are designed to stop the trailer and not add braking requirement to the tow vehicle, then shouldn't the rankings of towing vs. not-towing stay the same?

I ask this question, but must say that I am NOT impressed with how the F150 brake controller electronically regulates my trailer brakes. Yes, it is smooth and unnoticeable, but I wish it let the trailer do a higher amount of the work. If I pinch the manual brake lever to 100%, it would take my trailer nearly a mile to stop us from 45mph. I know the trailer brakes are more capable than that. They were on my last combo that used a different controller.

I'm dealing with a pulse in my truck brakes due to warped rotors. I think they are warped from the above concern.

I agree that the factory controller does not ramp up the trailer brakes enough in panic stops on my F150. I feel like I hardly use the truck brakes in normal stops but when I really need to stop it seems like all of the extra effort comes from the truck. I asked my dealer about changing the gain in the controller but was told that it is impossible.

As for F150 vs F250 stopping, the only real difference should be due to the weight of the truck offering more traction. When I am already at a combined weight of 16,000lbs another 1,000lbs of truck isn't going to make much difference if the trailer brakes are engaged properly. If the trailer brakes aren't doing much then you may get 15% more effort from the truck.

You have a great brake controller in the truck, much better than aftermarket units. First you need to read the owners manual on how to do the simple adjustment. Second, you need to find a dealer that has a clue. If you cannot achieve proper braking, fix the brakes.